Ukraine official loses job for OK'ing electricity imports from Russia
KYIV. Nov 26 (Interfax) - Ukrainian Deputy Energy and Coal Industry Minister Vadym Ulida was fired on Wednesday for giving the go-ahead to proposed imports of electricity from Russia, a senior minister said.
"Today we have reacted to a recent decision by the Ministry of Energy and the Coal Industry to give permission for imports of electricity from the Russian Federation. This permission was signed by Vadym Ulida, now ex-deputy minister, now he has been dismissed at a meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers, and a decision to that effect will be published," Minister of the Cabinet of Ministers Ostap Semerak told reporters in Kyiv.
Earlier, the Ministry of Energy and the Coal Industry had satisfied applications from the DTEK company, which was set up in 2005 to manage the energy assets of the SCM Holdings company, and from Energomerezha Export Trade to buy electricity from Russia.
Each of the two companies was allowed to import a maximum of 1,500 megawatts of electricity from Russia.
Ukraine has bought no Russian electricity since 2008. It imported 948.4 million kilowatt-hours of electricity from Russia between September 15, 2008, and November 30 that year to relieve the burden on Ukrainian thermal power plants and save coal for the heating season.
On November 14, 2014, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko put into force a resolution of the National Security and Defense Council dated November 4 and entitled "On National Energy Security and Urgent Measures to Ensure a Stable Heating Season 2014/15."
DTEK manages a vertically integrated chain of coal-mining enterprises and firms generating and selling electricity. SCN Holdings is based in Donetsk and owned by Rinat Akhmetov.
Energomerezha Export Trade is licensed to import up to 840 million kilowatt-hours of electricity a year. It is co-owned by Energomerezha Holding Company and the Intek Energy firm, each of which holds a 50% stake in the trading company. All three companies are headquartered in Kyiv.